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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28493751">Peace on Earth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/picimadar/pseuds/picimadar'>picimadar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Gundam Wing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AllHolidaysMatter, Celebrations, Christmas, Family, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Holidays</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:06:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,751</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28493751</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/picimadar/pseuds/picimadar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Carolers, Christmas and Conversation. "One day, there has to be a day where we can just be again."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Gundam Wing Holiday Matters 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Peace on Earth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/flayrie/gifts">flayrie</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was an unusual circumstance, sharing someone else’s office, but it was hardly the strangest of her past two years, and Relena was quite certain it wouldn’t even make the top ten for her new workmate. Once Relena had been informed she would not only need to leave her office but evacuate directly to Preventer Headquarters, she was thankful Trowa had offered her space to work. The two had been typing away on different reports and procedural documentation for most of the afternoon and into the night, trading quiet comments and feedback.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their typing paused as they heard a seemingly hesitant knock on the door. “Come on in,” Trowa and Relena both called out, and Relena felt her cheeks warm as she mouthed, ‘sorry.’ Trowa shook his head, turning from his place on a small couch toward the now open doorway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Apologies for interrupting you again, but we have an update.” A young man stepped halfway into the room, and Relena felt her stomach clench in anticipation of his next words. “Things have remained quite calm despite how many people this event has attracted. We have agents on the ground at a few different locations, but the parliamentary buildings do remain the biggest concentration of crowds at the moment.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Relena sighed, relieved, as Trowa nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m terribly sorry, Vice Minister,” the agent apologized again, “we were anticipating the crowds, but with the conflicts in your schedule it just isn’t possible-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand,” Relena sighed, pushing her chair back from her desk to fold her hands in her lap. “To be perfectly honest, I’m not in much of a rush. I’d like to see what comes of this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The agent nodded and let himself slip out of the doorway, closing the door behind him. Relena stretched her legs out and sighed again as she kneaded her hands together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That bored?” Trowa teased from his seat, having resumed typing quietly on his laptop perched on a coffee table in front of him. “Or is the office not to your taste?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Relena pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. “It’s fine,” she said, stretching in the chair and resting her head against the back. “We should trade places anyway, there’s no way you can be comfortable like that. You’re already doing me a favor by hosting me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trowa shrugged, still typing away. “It’s only for the next few days, so we can-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Make sure my offices are safe, I know.” Relena stood up and stretched. “If I can’t leave here, can I at least walk around? Parliament breaks over Christmas, so I don’t have anything else I can pretend to work on right now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trowa glanced up again before his eyes shifted to the door. “I don’t see why not… take your communicator with you, though, just in case.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Relena held up her hand, her cell phone already pressed into her palm, as she stepped around the desk and toward the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should go and see it for yourself,” Trowa murmured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The people. It’s… something to behold.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde girl nodded before making the rest of her way to the door, closing it quietly behind her. It was Christmas Day and the Preventer offices were still very active; agents bustled between rooms, some nodding politely to Relena as they passed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wandered the halls for a little while before she found herself lingering in front of a door, still catching herself sighing again. It was emblazoned with the Preventer Commander’s name, and Relena stood and admired it for a moment as she realized there was light emanating from the bottom of the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You may come in.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Relena jumped as she heard Une’s voice, compulsively reaching forward for the door handle and letting herself inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” she explained, “I was just-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Une stood in front of the massive glass windows of her office, staring out over the parliamentary courtyards and the streets of Brussels. The night sky was black and the office itself had only a single small lamp on in the corner, but there were reflections of warm, dim pockets of light beaming up from where the windows met the floor. They lit Une’s face as she turned and looked at her new companion. She had a wine glass in one hand, and Relena saw the accompanying bottle as well as a second glass on her desk next to a pile of reports and an idling computer. Une stepped back to her desk and poured wine into the empty glass as Relena cautiously approached.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here,” Une said, pressing her fingertips against the base of the wineglass and pushing it across her desk toward Relena. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I shouldn’t-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Une glanced over at her balefully before pressing the glass into her hand. “You are underage </span>
  <span>for your position as well, and you will be remaining here for the time being. You may as well do your best to enjoy it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Relena tentatively grasped the glass and took a sip of the wine as she stepped up to the window next to the commander; it was a rich wine, but tempered by a slight sweetness, and she savored the flavour as she turned to look out onto the world below. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crowds of people flooded the footpaths, green spaces, and the large front courtyard of the parliamentary buildings on all sides. The packed group of people poured out from there and into the streets beyond the gates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are they…. Caroling?” Relena asked incredulously, catching the hint of a smile on Une’s lips as the brunette woman finished another deep drink from her glass. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two continued to stare in silence for a few moments, nursing their drinks. Une’s office was near the roof but if they were quiet enough, they could hear the voices below raised in song, celebrating peace on earth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… feel I must apologize,” Une said carefully, turning a shoulder toward Relena. “If our intel had indicated it be so peaceful, we would have simply supervised so you could return home. You must have had plans for the holiday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Relena shrugged. “Only to see my mother and a few others.” She tilted her head back to the crowds and asked, “do they know that I’m here?” Une nodded in response. “I think that’s for the better. I should be here. This--what they’re doing is important. I want to be a witness to it.” She slightly exhaled as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “My mother will be upset. She’s going to make a big scene about Preventer ‘controlling’ me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One small addition to a list of grievances with me, I’m certain."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Relena pursed her lips into a line and drank deeply from her glass of wine while watching the dense group of carolers down below. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can hardly believe it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a pleasant surprise.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There have been so many stumbles,” Relena continued quietly. “Nothing any of us didn’t expect, I don’t think, but still, it’s been such a challenge. There’s still so much </span>
  <em>
    <span>pain</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There is hope, too.” Une looked down at the younger girl for a second before looking back at the gathering of people below. “The entire purpose of Preventer is anticipating and planning for the worst… but I still hope humanity continues to surprise us.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You expected this kind of thing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Une murmured. “Frankly, we expected mass protests and violence. The reparation measures you’ve helped champion for some of the colonies have not been well received by most leaders here on Earth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Relena scoffed and took another drink. “So I’ve seen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Similar gatherings have appeared all over the colonies as well.”  Relena made a questioning noise as Une stepped back toward her desk and woke her computer. Live feeds from famous and frequented public spaces across the colonies sprang to life, packed with singers. With them came strains of disjointed, cacophonous holiday hymns and songs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unbelievable.” Relena’s eyes widened, and she smiled as she watched the cameras pan through the crowds. Une reached out and topped up both their glasses quickly, before Relena could pretend to politely protest further. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does it make you feel proud?” Une asked, turning and sitting against the edge of her desk. Relena straightened to look at her, brow furrowed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Proud?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is what you must have hoped for,” Une said, gesturing out to the window with her glass in hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. While it’s wonderful, I know that people’s hearts are still so heavy.” Relena’s free hand rose to tug absently at the necklace by her throat. “I’m celebrating and mourning, both equally. I believe we have all lost so much, it seems likely they all feel the same.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I truly wonder how long we’ll all carry on this way.” Une continued to stare out the window, her hand clenching her glass. “Will we be required to mourn forever, to ensure nothing like the war repeats itself?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope not.” Relena stopped handling the pendant of her necklace and leaned in toward the window, looking down to where the spillover from the main crowd spilled into the streets. “Most of us are young now, but we won’t be forever. We may always bear the scars from what we’ve done, but others won’t. Our children won’t. One day, there has to be a day when we can just </span>
  <em>
    <span>be</span>
  </em>
  <span> again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two were quiet for a little while, and Relena glimpsed Une make a closed-lipped smile as she took another drink of wine. “When do you think that will be?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Relena smiled as she stared back down at the singing crowd. “One day, when people have new lives, their own families, and they will have a great chance to make their own traditions.” Relena paused as she heard a small knock at the door. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You</span>
  </em>
  <span> already do. This is a chance to make your own new normal, for both of you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> you’re in there,” a voice interjected, and Relena beamed as she recognized Mariemaia’s voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like you said, there is hope, too. Hope for a continuously better future. Not one where we forget, but one where we learn and… keep moving on.” Relena finished her glass of wine and placed it back on Une’s desk. “Merry Christmas,” she said as she left the office, holding the door an extra moment for Mariemaia to pass through. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Merry Christmas,” Une echoed, but it went unheard as Mariemaia voiced her incredibly articulate frustrations over a disrupted Christmas plan while Une continued her watch over the gathering below. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>To Flayrie- a oneshot for you. Thanks for curating these great prompts and all you do to keep the fandom positive and thriving. </p><p>A special thanks to my beta-readers JenJenGundamFan and Cookami! Not my usual sort of story, and I'm so lucky to have such great friends and comrades who all help each other keep growing and keeping our works relevant and contemporary.</p><p>Coming in a lil' late for Christmas- spent it at home focusing on my family, enjoying my kid's infectious joy. As the holidays are meant to be. Stay home, stay safe, wash your hands.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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